June 2011

June 27, 2011

The University of Texas and North Carolina are finalizing dates for a home-and-home renewal of their series in basketball, which would be the first on-campus meetings between the two national programs since 1994-95.

The Longhorns will play at Chapel Hill during the upcoming season during the week before Christmas and Carolina will play a late-December return game in Austin in 2012. The two national programs have met the past two seasons in "neutral-site" games in Arlington and Greensboro, N.C. Texas has won both to take a 4-2 lead in the series.

Texas will also initiate a 2-game series in 2011 with Temple, beginning with a game in Austin in mid-December. The return game is expected to be played in Philadelphia the following season.--Mike Jones.

June 17, 2011

Officials at the Football Bowl Association announced dates today for the 35 postseason games that will be played following college football’s 2011 regular season, with the Cotton Bowl set for Jan. 6 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington and the BCS Championship Game to be played Jan. 9 in New Orleans.

The Big 12, which will include only 10 teams in 2011, has seven guaranteed bowl berths. The Mountain West, in TCU’s final season of membership, has four guaranteed bowl berths.

In addition to the Cotton Bowl, which will match a Big 12 team against an SEC opponent, D-FW will be the site of two other bowls: the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl, Dec. 30 in Dallas (BYU vs. Conference USA) and the TicketCity Bowl, Jan. 2 in Dallas (Big Ten vs. Conference USA).

June 15, 2011

Some random thoughts about the Longhorn Network’s first wave of programming, announced today by officials at ESPN and the University of Texas:

The description for football coach Mack Brown’s weekly Rewind with Mack Brown program (Mondays during the season), as described in today’s news release, promises viewers the coach’s thoughts on the previous game “with a no-holds-barred attitude that Longhorn fans have come to expect from him.”

Really? I’m fascinated by what constitutes a “no-holds-barred” approach from Mack the Nice, who has a reputation for coddling players and once stepped in to answer a post-game question directed to quarterback Chris Simms after a loss to Oklahoma because he thought the question was too hard-edged.

In fairness, Brown did get feisty in interview sessions last season, calling out unnamed coaches and players for their roles in stunning losses to UCLA and Iowa State. Brown cited entitlement issues and a lack of trust in those sessions, and others, as the 5-7 season unfolded. But he did not name names (meaning he held his tongue, which would not be consistent with a “no-holds-barred attitude”).

This isn’t meant as criticism. Brown is a top-flight coach and a likable guy who succeeds at recruiting, in part, because he promises parents he will not embarrass their sons in a public setting. So to see his coaching show promising a “no-holds-barred attitude” from a coach known for his slick PR skills is … uh, fascinating, to say the least.

The Texas All Access show offers a description saying camera crews will be “embedded with the coaches and players to provide access to the inner workings of Longhorn football.” Maybe so. But expect a lot more internal editing of the final product than what goes into the presentation of HBO’s Hard Knocks when those camera crews visit NFL training camps.

Otherwise, the rest of the shows detailed today sound like basic, must-have, highlight/feature fodder for 24-hour network that will debut on Aug. 26. Below is a look at the description of the upcoming programs on the Longhorn Network, taken directly from today’s news release:

• Longhorn Extra (10 p.m. CT) – A nightly news and information show dedicated to the University of Texas. Every Monday through Friday, viewers will get highlights, updates, analysis, interviews, and behind the scenes looks at all 20 varsity sports teams.• Rewind with Mack Brown (Mondays, 7 p.m.) – Exclusively on Longhorn Network, airing Mondays after every game, Coach Mack Brown will breakdown that week’s match-up, highlighting key plays and turning points, with a no-holds-barred attitude that Longhorn fans have come to expect from him.

• Texas All Access (Wednesdays, 8 p.m.) – Each week, viewers will get a never-before-seen inside look at a Texas team or group. During Wednesdays in the fall, the show will focus exclusively on the football team with camera crews embedded with the coaches and players to provide access to the inner workings of Longhorn football.

• Game Plan with Mack Brown (Thursdays, 7 p.m.) – Exclusively on Longhorn Network, every Thursday during the season, Coach Mack Brown will preview the upcoming match-up with an inside look at game preparation and a breakdown of the keys to victory.• Texas GameDay (two hours prior to kick every Saturday) – In the mold of ESPN’s Emmy Award-winning College GameDay, Texas GameDay will be live from inside the stadium prior to kick-off for all home football games, and live from its Austin studio for all away games. Through a unique blend of talent, insights, analysis, and fan interaction, the show will build excitement around the game, providing viewers and fans with a full game day experience.

ESPN and school officials have announced their initial collection of daily and weekly shows, as well as an Aug. 26 launch date for the Longhorn Network, the University of Texas’ 24-hour channel to showcase Longhorns’ athletics in partnership with ESPN.

Among the staple programs announced today, with broadcast times, include:

Longhorn Extra (10 p.m.) _ A nightly news and information show focusing on the school’s 20 varsity sports will air Monday through Friday.

Rewind with Mack Brown (Mondays, 7 p.m.) _ Weekly show with football coach Mack Brown, offering highlights from the past game. It will air during football season.

Texas All Access (Wednesdays, 8 p.m.) _ Weekly show offering a behind-the-scenes look at a Texas team or group. The show will focus exclusively on the football team during the fall.

Game Plan with Mack Brown (Thursdays, 7 p.m.) _ Weekly show during football season previewing the upcoming game.

Texas GameDay (two hours prior to Saturday kickoff) _ A football preview show modeled after ESPN’s College GameDay program. The show will originate from Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium for home games and from its Austin studio for away games.

In a statement, Longhorn Network vice-president Dave Brown said the shows “will exhibit the same high quality” evident on ESPN network programs. Brown also issued a statement, saying he is “thrilled” to be part of a ground-breaking project.

“When you’re involved in a first of its kind project like Longhorn Network, you know it’s going to have a dramatic impact on your sport,” Brown said. “It’s a very exciting opportunity for us.”

A complete programming schedule will be released later this summer. Fans interested in more information can visit GetLonghornNetwork.com.

June 14, 2011

Texas receiver Greg Timmons, who played sparingly last season as a redshirt freshman, will transfer to another school and has been given an unconditional release by the Longhorns, school officials announced today. Timmons, who played in the 2009 U.S. Army All-American Game, said in a statement that he has yet to decide where he will transfer.

Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck, who played his high school football in Houston, has been established as the early favorite to win the 2011 Heisman Trophy. Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones, an All-Big 12 selection last season, is the second choice based on odds released today by Bodog Sportsbook.

Among the top 10 favorites, five have ties to Texas or the Big 12. Oregon RB LaMichael James played HS football in Texarkana. Oklahoma State receiver Justin Blackmon, the 2010 Biletnikoff Award winner, and Oklahoma receiver Ryan Broyles also cracked the top 10 on today's initial list of candidates.

Texas defensive end Sam Acho joined Baylor women’s basketball guard Melissa Jones as the Big 12 Sportspersons of the Year for the 2010-2011 school year.

The awards, announced today, are given annually to recognize one male and one female student-athlete who displayed extraordinary sportsmanship and/or community service while also excelling as a competitor.

June 13, 2011

Texas RB Malcolm Brown, the Longhorns' top-rated 2011 signee, is taking part in voluntary summer workouts with his new teammates. He will not be made available to the media until after he plays in a regular-season game, as per program rules, but he answered some questions recently for the football program's website.

June 09, 2011

The promising football career of former Flower Mound Marcus star Daniel Noble has come to an early end because of lingering affects of a concussion suffered midway through last season, an Oklahoma athletic department official confirmed Thursday.

Noble was one of only three freshmen to become a part of the Sooners' defensive tackle along with Tommie Harris and Dusty Dvoracek last season when he played in five of OU's first six games. He suffered a concussion against Iowa State, however, and did not return. Noble participated in spring training, but apparently suffered some kind of setback late and did not play in the spring game.

"To get back out there and get the pads back on felt good," Noble said during an interview the last week of spring pratice. Coach Bob Stoops said in October, "He has a chance to be one of those special ones as he keeps maturing."

Stoops mentioned Noble's career was over Wednesday night at a Sooner Caravan stop in Oklahoma City.

“He was a strong, young guy that did well. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to get past the injury,” Stoops told The Oklahoman.--Mike Jones.

But he has a chance to be one of those special ones as he keeps maturing.”